A Chepstowe man will fight arson charges against him in the County Court, after being charged with deliberately lighting fires in Chepstowe, Linton and Carngham throughout early 2022.
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At a committal hearing at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Friday charges against Joshua White, 29, were heard and witnesses were called forward to give evidence.
Among the witnesses were volunteers with the CFA, and an arson expert who analyzed the fire alleged to be caused by White.
The alleged arson incidents were said to have occurred in a period between December 2021 and March 2022.
White was alleged to have lit fires across the various townships on eight separate occasions, damaging fence posts on two occasions and a power pole on one occasion.
During the course of Friday's proceedings the court heard from a CFA volunteer who attended several of the fires allegedly lit by White, who was cross examined by lawyers.
The court also heard from a witness to one of the alleged arson incidents in Chepstowe.
The man and his friend allegedly saw a red dual cab ute leave the scene of a fire on the night of December 12, putting the fire out shortly after it had been lit.
An arson expert was also called forward to give evidence on four of the fires allegedly lit by White.
The expert told the court a discarded cigarette was an unlikely trigger for at least one of the fires, due to recent high humidity in the area.
The expert also provided the court with information about indirect ignitions, from items such as cigarette butts, and direct ignitions - and how to distinguish between the two.
Chepstowe was the site of bushfires 10 years ago which devastated more than a dozen houses, including the Chepstowe Station Homestead.
The fire burnt more than 1300 hectares with a 17-kilometre perimeter at one stage.
The matter will appear at the County Court in Melbourne on April 18.
